Life Imitates Art
by Little-Angry-Kitten
Summary: She really appreciated the way he handled all this, with the respect it deserved. They had agreed in a date kind of thing, just the two of them and the camera, talking like they knew each other for years. She didn't do this to start a fire again (they had enough of that the past few years), no, she did it only because she thought the two people she loved most on this earth deserved
1. Money Is The Anthem Of Success

_**A/N: The story is heavily based on Lana's songs so you can already see where this is going. I'm so sorry, you guys, but angst is me right now!**_

* * *

 _ **New York**_

 _ **2020**_

* * *

Rose pulled her comfy cardigan tighter around herself, her eyes sweeping over New York torn between winter and spring, half of it lifeless and half of it buzzing with colours. Maybe it was just her mood, Rose hadn't been truly happy for the past five years, no one of them had been and with the media lurking over the broken mess that was their family things weren't made easy.

Their fortune kept growing but everything else kept falling apart. The fact the her ex sister-in-law still tried to support her lifestyle on the said fortune only made Rose's problems bigger. Her daddy had joked once that every time a Ward found their true love they were destined to lose them sooner or later, that silly idea didn't seem so silly anymore. Rose was still young but she felt like a century old.

"Miss Ward?" The velvety male voice startled her, Rose schooled herself and turned to face him smiling softly.

"Call me Rose, please." She said and he smiled in returned.

"If you insist."

Antoine Triplett was an up and coming reporter that build a name of himself because he was from the few people in his line of work that were serious about it. He didn't do gossip, he was respectful towards the people he interviewed and most of all didn't count on lies to get his numbers high. Rose liked that kind of honesty in a person.

She had talked a lot about what she wanted to do with both Tommy and Christian and their father and they all decided that if someone was to bring to light a story like that, that would be Antoine Triplett. That was the only way they would be sure their name wouldn't be dragged through mud and the story would actually reach the audience the way it happened.

"We're all set up if you'd like to start." He motioned towards her living room and the camera guy that was waiting for them.

She really appreciated the way he handled all this, with the respect it deserved. They had agreed in a date kind of thing, just the two of them and the camera, talking like they knew each other for years. She didn't do this to start a fire again (they had enough of that the past few years), no, she did it only because she thought the two people she loved most on this earth deserved to have their story told like it happened and not the a cheap yellow page paper wanted it to be.

"Yes, of course." She nodded and led the way.

They settled side by side, like too old friends sharing a cup of coffee, and he motioned for the camera to start rolling.

"Now, Rose." Antoine's smile put her at easy and she relaxed a bit, settling back against the pillows of the couch. "I'd love to hear everything about Skye and Grant."


	2. Fame, Liquor, Love

**A/N: I'd like to thank Adrienne for her help with the grammar.**

* * *

 **No one's gonna take my soul away**  
 **I'm living like Jim Morrison**  
 **Headed towards a fucked up holiday**  
 **Motel sprees sprees and I'm singing**  
 **'Fuck yeah give it to me this is heaven, what I truly**  
 **Want'**  
 **It's innocence lost**

 **Innocence lost**

 ** _Gods & Monsters ~ Lana Del Rey_**

* * *

 _ **Austin, Texas**_

 _ **2010**_

* * *

Rose shook the rain off of her as she stepped inside the shitty bar. Her trip to Texas promising her a new Taylor Swift had been a disaster because the poor girl could barely hold a note much less compete with Taylor on her level of professional work. Even if they did decide to pick her up it would take too much time and a lot of money she couldn't put into someone that could very well turn into nothing.

To add to all of that; Tommy was constantly whining about being there when this was Grant's work and wanting to go home. It wasn't how and where she wanted to spend her night but their pilot couldn't take off due to the bad weather and all she longed for were her plush pillows and that one bottle of expensive wine she'd kept hidden from her brothers.

It was never her dream to step into the label and take charge but after her father retired and Christian chose to focus on the rest of their corporations Grant was left to fend for himself and Rose just couldn't leave her favorite brother alone. Tommy's presence really didn't count for anything other than comic relief when things got too much or part time bodyguard when she had to step out without Grant. The music industry is a tough place to be, especially if you are a woman and one that was thought to be a precious princess. Rose wasn't a princess, she was a fucking queen and she proved it time and time again by walking all over her enemies with her expensive custom designed shoes.

The last year had been the hardest for her and her family, not only had they lost their mother unexpectedly but artists kept dropping the label left and right and Rose couldn't figure out why. Until a rumour that Raina, their lead PR person, started up her own company and had stolen most of their contacts reached her and Rose was livid. While Grant was in charge of songs and producing them she was the one that ran everything else. It hurt her ego that something like that had happened right under her nose and Rose swore to destroy Raina.

Thus how the head hunting for new voices started, which didn't yield any results so far. She didn't need teenagers that could auto tune shit, she needed singers that could actually sing. Like Whitney Houston and Celine Dion level of singing. She needed voices with passion and a soul. Sadly for her that wasn't really the case, because all she'd found so far were talentless people that had done nothing but waste her time.

"Scotch on the rocks." She barked as she slide onto a stool. Where the fuck was Tommy? It shouldn't take him this long to park a fucking SUV, it wasn't like he was driving a limo. "The best thing you have, money is not really a problem." The bartender gave her a once over as she lit a smoke fumbling with her iPhone, trying to get reception. Tonight wasn't really her night, was it?

"Business or pleasure?" The guy behind the bar gave her what he probably thought was a million dollar smile but Rose couldn't really be bothered. When you've been wined and dined by the finest men on this earth that actually knew how to talk you into date them, a handsome bartender wouldn't get anywhere with her even if he was good looking. She had more important things to focus on, like Grant's latest email about one of their best song writers leaving the label too. Which God up there hated her so much? She'd like to know so she could be sure she send the 'fuck you's in the right direction.

"Now, now." She smiled icily. "That doesn't concern you, does it?" Besides she knew his type, he thought that just because she was pretty she was also stupid. Never mind the bachelor in economics and the master in management or the countless Emmy Awards on the label's walls from work she and Grant had overlooked. God forbid if a woman actually had the brains to do anything but spread her legs in America, right? Rose loathed being talked down more than she did anything else.

"I'd suggest you walk away." Tommy finally materialised beside her and the guy took the message, walking away hastily after he took her little brother's order. The Ward brothers were very intimidating in all their 6 foot glory. Whereas she was short and tiny, her brothers towered over her always keeping trouble away. Oh, if only people knew that out of all of them she was the most vicious one if need be.

"Where the fuck have you been?" She hissed as Tommy took his coat off and joined her. "Did you get lost walking the thirty meters from one side of the parking lot to the other?" Tommy rolled his eyes and took a sip from her drink before she could slap his hand away. No matter how hard she tried she could never stop that annoying habit he had of drinking from their glasses or eating from their plates, apparently just because he was the youngest he thought he could get away with everything. Which to be honest he did.

"I was talking to our pilot." He shrugged. "He said we'll be able to fly back to Boston tomorrow but for now we have to lay low. I made reservations at a hotel near, you shouldn't expect Egyptian cotton sheets and silk bedspreads though." Rose whined finally giving up on trying to get her crappy connection to work and downed the rest of her drink.

It looked like she'd had to weather the storm.

 **~oOo~**

I would switch the first two sentences like this. Three drinks in Rose decided it would be smart to buy the entire bottle. While Tommy ordered food she downed the last bit of what was left in her glass and poured another one. She wasn't drunk, not really, she'd need more than just a three star scotch to get her down but she was definitely more relaxed. Between alcohol and French fries she had forgotten how bad her day, or the better part of her year to be honest, had been. Instead they drank and broke out the stories from their childhood and before she knew it they were laughing so loud half of the bar was looking at them.

"Oh!" She gasped dramatically. "Do you remember that time Gramsy caught Christian and Anna going at it in the pool house?" Tommy broke into a new round of chuckles as the memory came rushing back. The Wards were a lot of things but first and foremost they were a proper upper class family, which translated into a bunch of dos and don'ts that should be followed religiously. One of them was always keeping appearances and protecting the family's good reputation.

Fortunately for them Christian had forgotten about it. Maybe it was the excitement from his engagement to Anna or maybe their big brother was a little kinkier than they all thought but the worst person possible caught them red handed. To say that what followed after Gramsy found him with his pants around his ankles was the funniest thing ever would be an understatement. No, the embarrassment wasn't enough, after Gramsy delivered her 'be careful of the family's name' speech, she didn't stop on the talk about safe sex but went on to suggest some good places they could try next time where they wouldn't get caught. All the while Rose with Grant and Tommy had been eavesdropping and laughing their asses off.

"Memories!" Tommy panted between breaths as he took another sip from his drink. Rose wasn't sure what caught her attention faster, the voice singing or the lyrics but she did a double take completely ignoring what her little brother was going to say. "What's wrong?" He asked alarmed, looking at the speaker hanging from the ceiling.

"Do you hear that?" She asked enthralled. Bad recording excluded the voice was angelic, sweet, melodic and with a good dose of pain in it, all in all everything Rose was looking for. She needed to find out who the artist was, she needed to meet this girl. "Hey, five dollar playboy!" She called and the bartender gave her an annoyed glance. Yes, he had moved past his seducing phase and now was plainly giving her the stink eye for not dropping her panties the moment he rested his leering gaze on her. "The song that's playing? Who's the singer?"

"Skye?" The guy looked baffled. "She works as a waitress here." He said slowly.

"Is she working tonight?" Rose was in full huntress mode. No one could stand between her and her next project. "I wanna meet her."

"She's not." The guy shook his head and Rose was about to pounce on him. Would he ever do anything useful or was he going to waste more of her time? Tommy wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back.

"What my sister is trying to say," Tommy cut in giving her a 'behave' look. "is, could you please give her a call and ask her to meet us here?" He said politely slipping a hundred discretely over the counter. The bartender's eyes zeroed on the dollar bill and Tommy didn't blame him. "There's more where that came from." He pointed out as the guy moved away from them and slipped out of the back door. "Do you have to be such a bitch all the time?" He asked as he sat back down.

"He didn't do anything for me to be polite to him." Rose grumbled fingering the edge of her glass.

"You're so fucking spoiled." Tommy had the audacity to laugh at her pouting face. "You know you catch more flies with honey, right?"

Rose ignored him and went back to her drink.

 **~oOo~**

Twenty minutes later she was practically bouncing on her stool, waiting wasn't really her thing. "I swear to God if you don't sit still I'll nail your ass down." Tommy barely spared her a glance as he played with his phone.

"Like that would help." She snorted taking a generous gulp of her water. She needed to have a clear head if she was going to negotiate a contract with this girl, but if she was what Rose was looking for, of course.

"I have a good feeling about this."

"You have a good feeling about everything, Tommy." Sometimes it bothered her that Tommy couldn't understand the seriousness of a situation. Their label's fate was depending on this, kidding aside they desperately needed a good singer to put them back on the map and that girl might as well be the answer to their prayers. He was about to say something snarky back at her but something caught both their attentions when a young woman maybe in her early twenties walked up to them.

The girl was easy on the eye too which made her work so much more simple. She would only need a better wardrobe and a new hair colour but other than that Rose could work with the whole bohemian look. Her long dark curls and almost non existent makeup would make the fans easy to connect with her. Through her job Rose discovered that audience was over artists that acted like they were better than everyone else. They preferred more down to earth people that liked to interact with them and someone in their early twenties would be more than happy to do so.

"Skye?" Rose asked hopefully.

"In the flesh." The girl said and took a seat opposite them. "Miles said you asked for me so make it quick. I have places to be." Rose had no idea why the good natured bitterness in Skye's voice made her laugh but it did. Five minutes in and she actually liked her, maybe this wasn't a loss of time after all.

"I have a proposition for you." Rose said and delved into a detailed explanation, with all the information she'd have to know about the deal they'd make if her new friend wanted to join them.

Her daddy taught her that when you were trying to do business with someone honesty was always the way to go.

 **~oOo~**

They talked well into the early hours and after Rose told her everything she needed to know Skye talked to her about her work and her life. She was an orphan, her mother died when she was young and she never met her father, lived by herself most of her life and had bad taste in men (Miles -the annoying bartender- being one of them) which was how her music was made. Based on personal fuck ups and she'd like it to stay that way, Rose had no problem with it. Skye also wrote the lyrics of her songs by herself and refused to let anyone help. If she didn't do it on her own it wasn't her music.

"Are you sure she'll come?" Tommy murmured from beside her still half asleep, her wrist watch read half past seven and her little brother clearly wasn't a morning person. They had parted ways with Skye just two hours ago so she could go back to her flat to pack her things and meet them back at the airport.

"Yes." She answered quietly as she took a sip from her hot coffee. At least she hopped that Skye hadn't regretted following them. It wouldn't be the first time someone with talent had bailed on Rose just from fear of success or because the music scene became too much for them. Artists tended to go rogue if you didn't pay attention to them, most managers had their clients hooked on any kind of drugs to keep them where they wanted, but Empire didn't work like that. Rose herself didn't work like that, she had lost her best friend to drugs and she despised anything it had to do with them.

"Fuck! You're rich!" Skye's surprised voice brought a laugh on her lips again. "I mean I knew you were rich but not _that_ rich!" She said as she placed her guitar case on the leather couch their jet came with. Not to brag about it but Rose was gonna brag about it, they did have one of the newest planes available in the market. That was an expense her big brother didn't spare. Christian kept a close eye on their transpiration means. They did have a large list of enemies that would stop at nothing to get them out of the way, the business world worked just like the animal kingdom, you either eat your enemies first, or you wait to be eaten.

"We're just living the life, sista!" Tommy joked and Skye rolled her eyes as she took a seat.

"Please don't say that again." Skye snorted. "Not really your style!" Their flight attendant approached and Rose motioned for another cup of coffee and whatever they had prepared for breakfast this time. They were just waiting for Skye to get started anyway.

"Tommy, here, thought you regret your decision and stayed home after all." Rose teased hiding her smirk behind her cup. "He was so heartbroken."

"Aw!" Skye cooed and pinched Tommy's cheeks. "Were you, babe?" Tommy just grumbled something under his breath and pulled his sleeping mask over his eyes again going back to sleep. "Sorry I was late. I had to let my landlord know I was leaving, he's the closest thing I have to family." Rose nodded in understanding, families, whatever the way they came to be were always important.

"Getting cold feet?" She asked after a while and Skye nodded quickly.

"Just trust me." Rose said firmly taking Skye's hand. "You're gonna love New York!"

 **~oOo~**

 _ **New York**_

 _ **2010**_

* * *

Grant wasn't an easy going person, everybody knew that. His little sister knew it even better since she spent her entire life by his side, and after they lost their mother he became worse. He closed up to himself and wouldn't talk to anyone and the bitch he had for a wife didn't make it any easier. But then again Sharon always wanted to cut Grant off from his siblings and this was a good enough chance. That is until Rose had some very strong words with her and made it very clear that if she wanted it Sharon would be gone from their family before she could say Prada.

So Rose did expect some friction between him and Skye. She was young and he was a good ten years older and that alone put a big enough age gap to create problems. She did not however expected the earthquake that happened as soon as they stepped inside the same room. Grant disagreed with everything Skye had to say and they constantly fought for the stupidest things.

From background vocals on the single, to removing and adding instruments, to what they were having for lunch, everything was a battle for them. After a while even the rest of the crew didn't want to be in the same studio as them and they begged Rose to get them out. Taking pity on the poor souls she did just that and decided that her brother and their protege would either create something amazing or burn the label to the ground.

Rose distinctly remembered one occasion that she was pretty sure one of them was going to die. They had stayed late again working on the track and something on Skye's voice just wasn't right. Both of them were obviously exhausted but too stubborn to just give up and go home.

Rose was just about to leave when the yelling reached her and she made her way towards the studio soundlessly. Grant yelled and Skye screamed back but all she could make out was her bigger brother telling Skye to either get her shit together and get this done or he was going to pack her things himself and send her back home before he stormed off somewhere. She didn't stay to hear anything else choosing to keep out of this for now, Skye had potential and if Grant couldn't do it she had other people that could help. She let them be and went home praying to God that they'd work it out because she was positive they could do miracles together.

Three weeks later 'Gods & Monsters' went up on iTunes and became a hit within the first twenty four hours of its release. A video followed a few weeks later and just like that Skye and Empire were back on the map and it looked like they were here to stay.


	3. Later's Better Than Never

A/N: Hugs and kisses to Nic for looking this over for me!

* * *

 _ **I'm feelin' electric tonight**_  
 _ **Cruising down the coast goin' 'bout 99**_  
 _ **Got my bad baby by my heavenly side**_  
 _ **I know if I go, I'll die happy tonight**_  
 _ **Summertime Sadness ~ Lana Del Rey**_

* * *

New York

2010

* * *

Skye fell into the music scene like a bomb, taking everyone by surprise. She was sweet, talented, and for someone that had no idea about how show business worked she was awfully good at being a diplomat. She aced her first performance and the various interviews that followed closely behind. In six months the entire country and half the world were wrapped around her little finger with what seemed like minimal effort. Rose didn't even have to pull strings to get gigs, everyone wanted Skye.

Her social media accounts were blown up, by normal people and celebrities alike, the fan mail was coming in huge stacks and they couldn't be happier. So between recordings, writing and being present at every party imaginable Skye had settled in a nice spacious flat close to Empire's studios. It was a penthouse a few levels up from Rose's loft, they had figured out that living close to each other would be exactly what Skye needed to not get overwhelmed by the big city. Moving from Austin to New York was already a big change without adding the stress fame could cause to a normal person.

Skye never had much money, her apartment back in Texas was way too small and had very few decorations. Mainly things she picked on flea markets or drawing a friend did from time to time. So when Rose leased the flat for her and gave her the green light Skye went nuts with it. They had clicked from the very first moment the two of them and it only got stronger as the days went by. In just a few weeks Rose and Skye became so close that even though Rose hated shopping in general or any manual labour she still followed Skye around keeping her complaining to a minimum.

Rose was also the number one person Skye whined about Grant. Not that Skye talked about him a lot! Only when he annoyed her, which sadly was most of the time. If the man wasn't so pretty to look at Skye would have pushed him out of a window by now. The chemistry between them was obvious to everyone, they didn't always use it for good though. They usually just went after another and tried to outsmart each other, Skye would admit that sometimes she did it out of boredom too. There was something about watching cool and collected Grant Ward lose his shit that made her smile in delight. Eventually Rose had to have a sit down with both of them and told them to get their shit together because their stuff was a step away from quitting due to all the tension between them.

The next two tracks that went live helped their working relationship a lot. Grant had learned Skye's buttons and how to not push them, while Skye had learned how to follow his leads while recording and that chemistry showed in their songs. They might have been at each other's throats constantly but their studio was sacred and they did not sully it with fights.

"I think we're done here." Skye sighed as she fell back against the brand new purple couch. She snapped a picture of the room and posted it on Twitter with all the necessary hashtags, in a matter of seconds her Facebook wall was peppered with messages wishing her well and her tweet had been retweeted at least twenty thousand times.

"I had no idea someone could squeeze so much purple in just one room," Rose said as she patted a small pillow with Hello Kitty smiling back at her. "I mean it's like Barbie threw up in here!"

"Hey!" Skye slapped her arm lazily making Rose laugh. "I like purple! It's a happy colour!" Something flashed in her gaze but it was gone before Rose could ask anything.

"If it floats your boat!" Rose shrugged and pushed herself to her feet. "Come on, I'm buying you dinner." She gave Skye her hand and she took it gratefully.

"Food!" She smiled grabbing her jacket. "I love food!"

~oOo~

Things got easier and much calmer after the success of her first album. Grant and Skye found a way to communicate that was almost good and everyone was happy. Of course there was bickering and fighting, he'd yell and she'd tell him to 'fuck off' but at the end of the day neither of them left the studio without getting something done. Sometimes it was a full song, others it was just the tune of it, or maybe just a verse, but whatever the result it was always pure gold.

"You're awfully quiet today," she murmured coming to a stop beside him as Grant worked on the producing console, adjusting the tune of the new song so it wouldn't cover her voice too much. She had no idea where this one had come from but it had a lonely vibe to it. It reminded Skye of summer and star crossed lovers, it was almost magical but yet not quite what she had in mind. "I mean you haven't even yelled at me once!"

"I have a lot of things on my mind." A half smile ghosted his lips but it was gone way too soon for her see. "Listen to this." He rolled the track from the start and her voice filled the room. "I think it sounds better now, your voice is clearer and the tune drops to the background. You like it?" His gaze locked on hers, these were the only moments they could actually get along. The moments they spent doing something that was second nature to them.

"I do. You're right, it sounds much better now." She nodded along placing her hand on the back of his chair. Skye pushed backwards forcing him to turn towards her. "But enough work for today. Tell me what's wrong." It wasn't a question, more like a demand and Grant shook his head slightly at the impossible girl.

"I don't want to bore you with personal problems." He ignored her adorable pout and went back to work.

"I know what you need." She said to herself and made her way to the small bar Rose had installed, more for her own sanity than for Skye or Grant to get use. She often said that the only way to put up with both of them was to get drunk. They thought she was kidding, Rose wasn't. "There's nothing better to heal battle wounds than good alcohol." She grabbed the eighteen year old scotch Rose kept for situations that called for it and two shot glasses.

"That's your answer to pretty much everything." He barely spared her a glance, focusing on his work but Skye wouldn't have it. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the couch at the other end of the room.

"It's worked for me so far." She shrugged as she poured them two shots and pushed one glass to him. Grant took it and downed the liquid forgetting his earlier words. Skye poured them another one and another and another until he finally relaxed. "Now, tell me." She rolled on her side, her eyes running over his face memorising his features as he laid back exhausted, eyes closed. Today had been a really productive one and Skye could tell by the emotional toll it had taken on her. They both knew that a work day was good when they felt like that, pouring your soul into your work always took a piece from you along the way.

"Have you ever felt like you don't know the person that sleeps beside you?"

"I never know the person that sleeps beside me!" she joked and he threw a halfhearted glare her way.

"Skye!" he chastised. "I'm being serious!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I do. I know how that feels." Skye nodded and motioned for him to continue. Her mind raced back to all those fights she had with Miles, all the nasty words and the bad blood they had. He kept pointing out that she would never make it and maybe she should dream something else and she kept telling him to go fuck himself because not everyone gave up on life and settled for less like he did. You could say that Rose coming into her life the moment she did was a divine intervention. They had just broke up again and things between them were as rocky as ever.

"My wife and I got married when we were young, barely out of college, and back then it seemed like a good idea," he explained pouring another shot for him and Skye, "I mean I thought I loved her, I was in love with her but it doesn't feel like that anymore. She's become snappy and snobbish, she won't talk to any of my family members, especially Rosie, she doesn't want to go out to places she swore up and down she loved and it looks like money is her main concern."

"People change, tastes change, everything pretty much changes and everything stays the same. Maybe you thought she was the love of your life back then, maybe she thought that too and maybe it had some truth to it but it sounds like its dead now."

"That's actually a little depressing," he said rolling his head to the side to look at her. "The way you see the world, I mean, that everything ends at some point."

"Don't get me wrong, I want to live that great big love everyone talks about, I want the Hollywood kisses, and the love confessions in the rain and the hot sex by a fireplace but I also know that doesn't exist. So far all I've got from love is a few moments of happiness and then nothing but tears and pain."

"That sounds even more depressing," he murmured almost to himself. "I mean Sharon and I are going through some stuff and it might even end in heartbreak but I don't think I'd be able to give up on love, or searching for it. Ultimately it's the only thing that keeps us going."

"Your idea of love sounds fun but I hate to disappoint you," she snorted into her drink, "Shit like that doesn't exist. People think they fall in love, they get married, they see that what they got wasn't what they wanted, they get divorced. That's what's happening with you and your wife right now."

They stayed in silence for the rest of the night, nursing the bottle of alcohol between them and contemplating their different ideas on love and life.

 **~oOo~**

They had a better understanding of each other after that incident. They still fought constantly but now they let go of things more easily. Their relationship changed so slowly that no one saw it coming, not even the two of them. Another late night, another set of lyrics that wouldn't come out, another asshole that kept going after Skye and her name, another day that Grant didn't want to go back to the cold penthouse he shared with Sharon.

So they sat in their small studio, arguing back and forth about vocals and the right tone adjustments. Skye's only thought as she looked at him was that when they first met he used to make her so fucking angry, to the point where she'd like to rip him apart. It was weird because all that had changed and she didn't even realize that her heart skipped a few beats now every time she'd see him work on his console. Or that something would warm her insides when he'd lean a little closer to point out this or that on her track.

One of those nights was when things went a little too far, the attraction was undeniable from the very first sight but their stubbornness got in the way, things had changed now though. Add alcohol to the situation and it spiraled out of control quickly. Skye had just broken up with Lincoln, someone had introduced her to him at a live performance and for some weird reason she thought dating him was a good idea. Grant's relationship with Sharon on the other hand went from bad to worse, so their go to plan was to hole up and write. Pretend that the outside world didn't exist.

Skye couldn't remember who leaned in first but one moment they were talking about something and the next their lips were touching and it was too late to stop. "We shouldn't." He said as they parted in need of air yet he pulled her on his lap.

"Yes." She agreed but her arms wrapped around his neck. "We really shouldn't." They still found themselves on the leather couch at the corner of the room though, their bodies pressed together tightly. They undressed each other slowly, almost with almost religious devotion.

One would think that coming together like this would be hard and fast for people like them. People so different and with so much unresolved sexual tension it bordered being a Hollywood cliché. But no, they took their time to kiss and caress and memorise every inch of skin revealed. Skye swore that her heart stopped for a few seconds when he made his way between her legs and brought her to climax with his fingers and his mouth twice. And while she hated when guys went down on her, because usually they were sloppy and made her feel like they didn't want to be anywhere near there, he seemed to enjoy the one on one with her privates.

The moment he slipped inside her felt like everything came into focus, as cliché as it sounded it felt like she'd found a missing part. It only got better when he started moving, their breath mixed, their bodies slick with sweat and Skye had to bite down on the skin of his shoulder to muffle her loud moans when she came again. A few thrusts later he followed her too, burying his face against the side of her neck, his fingers leaving imprints on the skin of her waist as he emptied himself inside her.

They laid back together, entwined in each other's arms. There were no words exchanged, maybe because they didn't have anything to say or maybe because they didn't need them. But she buried herself deeper into his arms and he pulled her closer kissing her forehead every now and then.

They had no idea what had just happened but whatever it was they'd cherish it.

~oOo~

When 'Summertime Sadness' hit the selves no one knew why it was loved by the audience so much. They told no one that they perfected it on that leather couch over kisses and caresses only lovers were allowed to exchange. Or that they recorded that very night and Skye didn't take her eyes away from his the entire time, singing the lyrics with all her soul. Or that after they were done Grant took her two more times and owned her body like no man had before.

They told no one that this song was the start of them.


	4. Diamonds and Pearls

**A/N: Big, bib thanks to Nic for the editing!**

* * *

 _ **I'm a dragon, you're a whore**_

 _ **Don't even know what you're good for**_

 _ **Mimicking me is a fucking bore to me**_

 _ **But babe**_

 _ **Lay me down tonight in my diamonds and pearls**_

 _ **Tell me songs at night about your favorite girl**_

 _ **I fucked my way up to the top**_

 _ **This is my show**_

 _ **Lana Del Rey - Fucked My Way Up To The Top**_

* * *

 **Undisclosed Location**

 **2011**

* * *

Skye liked to think that they were being careful with their relationship. They weren't overly affectionate in front of others and always had a plausible excuse to why they hung out together so much. Not that anyone questioned it, his wife was happy spending his money, Rose was buried under a ton of work so she didn't pay them any attention and they fought enough for their colleagues to believe nothing had changed.

What no one suspected was that for every hour they spent fighting it took double that time to make up. Which was usually under expensive sheets in Skye's soft bed. So the months passed by peacefully with with their secret kept that way safely. That is until the day Rose actually caught them red handed. Skye thought Grant had locked the door and Grant thought that Skye did but they both forgot it in the heat of the moment.

As it turned out that was the day Rose decided to pay a surprise visit to Skye after weeks of work and maybe treat her to dinner. But because life was an asshole Rose was the one that got surprised, by her brother's pale ass mind you, because someone (Skye!) couldn't wait till they reached the bedroom. One would think that she'd scream at them and demand for them to break it off, but Rose never really liked Sharon anyway. And once she saw how happy Skye and Grant made each other she gave her blessing and even covered for them on several occasions.

Like now, for example, where everyone knew that Skye was in Austin visiting Phil and Melinda, the people who were like parents to her, while Grant took some time off too and went to Los Angeles to visit his beloved grandmother. As far as the public knew Skye and Ward were miles apart, never mind that Rose actually booked two other secret flights for them to meet halfway to spend a few blissful days by themselves.

They'd done their research and found a secluded cabin in the woods of a private resort, which meant the security was high. So they'd spend a few days together and no one would be able to bother them. There was no TV, the fridge was stocked for at least a week and they had a huge soft bed to relax on. Plus the hot tub that Skye swore to defile as soon as possible. Not that Grant was opposed to the idea.

The only thorn in their perfect vacation was Sharon's constant presence even when she wasn't there. Calls, texts, emails, it was like she knew something was going on and it made Skye's mood sore. It wasn't like Grant could avoid her, so every time she called Skye would slip out of the room to stew in her own juices. She loved Grant, it was too early to tell him but she did and it ate her up inside when he talked to his wife. She had no right to feel like that, she knew that she was the third person in this triangle, but that didn't mean this wasn't cutting her in two.

She leaned against the doorway watching him pacing on the balcony while talking on the phone again. His face was scrunched up in a frown and if she really focused on it she could barely hear Sharon yapping about this or that at the other end of the line. She felt jealousy burn through her, wrapping like vines around her body trying to squeeze the life out of her. At that same moment his gaze locked with hers, he whispered something in his phone and ended the call quickly, two long strides later he was standing in front of her, his hands cupping her face gently.

"What's wrong?" he asked, resting his forehead against hers and Skye felt like breathing again, the pain in her chest stopping for just a second.

"Nothing." She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying herself into his warm embrace.

"Skye," he chastised softly. "Talk to me."

"It's just that we have these seven days to be alone and she hasn't stopped calling or texting. I mean I know she's your wife but I was hoping that I would have you all to myself for a while," she explained quietly, almost too scared to say the words.

"Is that all?" he asked solemnly and Skye nodded. He let go of her and stepped away turning towards the beautiful scenery before them. Skye watched him, taken aback by his behaviour and a little scared that maybe she had crossed a line. Grant grabbed his phone though and in one swift move launched it as far as he could. The expensive iPhone flew through the air before it crashed against a huge tree and then fell to its ultimate death.

"What are you doing?" she cried, the surprise evident in her features as she moved forwards the few steps that separated them, joining him at the edge of the balcony.

"You said the phone was bothering you so I got rid of it." He shrugged and picked her up placing her on the railing. Skye squealed and grabbed his biceps, holding on for dear life. Every worry faded away when his lips touched hers though and Skye wrapped her arms around his neck deepening the kiss, her legs hooking against his hips as she pulled him closer. "I love you," he said smiling as they pulled apart.

"I love you too," she said back mirroring his smile. Maybe it was too early, maybe they wouldn't last, but right now at this very moment it felt real and everything they both wanted.

Nothing could ruin their perfect week together.

* * *

 **New York**

 **2011**

* * *

"What the fuck is this?" Sharon slammed the paper in front of him but Grant couldn't be bothered to look up from his new phone. They'd had another row last night and he didn't feel like picking up where they left off. It was always the same old, same old with them. She wouldn't be happy with this or that and she'd take it out on him. He wished he could have stayed in that old cabin with Skye for a little while longer, pretending like the outside world didn't exist. That week had been the best time he had in awhile; they didn't get out of bed much, instead lying around just making love and working on new songs.

"In my family we call them newspapers," he answered evenly, barely sparing her a glance. He used to have an iPhone but Rosie insisted on a Blackberry for business reasons but he couldn't work the damn thing.

"Is that so?" She spat, venom colouring her voice. "Look at the front page!" His face paled as his eye landed on the thin paper, a huge picture of a couple taking up most of the page. He masked his surprise fast enough that Sharon couldn't read him. "I'd swear this is you and your little pet project." Her finger landed on the picture of them and Grant swallowed thickly.

The thing is that while he knew the couple in the picture was him and Skye nothing else gave them away, other than the article itself. The picture was blurred due to being taken from far away and their faces weren't visible since Skye had her back to the camera and his face was buried in the crook of her neck.

He felt bile rise up his throat as his mind faced back to that moment and the intimacy of the scene before him. He remembered it clearly; Skye had been seated on the railing of the balcony, wearing only his shirt and nothing else, her long legs wrapped around his waist. It was moments after they said 'I love you'. Did someone really catch that on camera or what they did after? The cabin was supposed to be a safe place, somewhere that no one could bother them.

"You're being ridiculous, Sharon." He pushed the offending paper away and tried not to think about how Skye must have reacted to this. "I was in Los Angeles the entire week and you know it very well. We talked on the phone almost every day and you called Gramsy several times."

"Like I'll believe the old hag doesn't cover up for you!" She hissed and Grant's eyes darkened at the way she referred to his grandmother. Gramsy was a second mother to him especially after his own passed away a few years ago. No one was allowed to talk about her in that manner.

"I can't deal with you when you're like that." He took one last sip from his coffee and rose from his seat. "I have work to do."

"That's just fucking perfect!" She called after his retreating form. "Walk away from this why don't you?!" Grant ignored her as he stepped inside the elevator. "Give my best regards to your whore!" was the last thing he heard before the steel doors slid closed.

 **~oOo~**

He found Skye in Rose's office, a cup of coffee in her hand, pacing the floor relentlessly. He could imagine that this got to her as much as it got to him. There was a fine line between taking shots and invading privacy, and the paparazzi should know better by now. "You saw it too?" he asked and opened his arms so she could slip inside.

"Everyone in the fucking world saw it!" she whispered burying her face against his chest. "It's everywhere. On the papers, on the Internet, every talk show is all over it."

"We have to come up with something." Rose cut in typing furiously on her iPad. "I'm already talking with the legal department and the resort manager. I was promised privacy and what I got was paps running around," she hissed under her breath. "Good news is that they can't see your faces so it could be anyone."

"Are you sure?" Skye asked hopefully.

"You saw the picture. All they have are two people that kind of look like you. It could be anyone! There's no booking showing that either of you was at the resort, you were in Austin and Grant in LA, no payments made by you and no other sightings implying that you were lying about your original locations."

"Rumlow." Grant whispered to himself tuning Rose out. "Where's Rumlow?"

"In New York for the next few weeks." Rose asked turning to face him. "What about Brock?" Brock Rumlow had been Rosie's best friend since pre school. They were so close that everyone thought, and both their mothers hoped, they would end up together eventually. Which would have been the case if they didn't bat for the same team.

Through the years though Rose had to act like a front for him quite a few times. They all came from uptight families as it was and Brock's political background didn't help either. If word got around that he was gay his father would disown him. That's why he choose business instead of politics and was mainly left to his own devices unless some social function demanded his presence which in extension meant that Rose would accompany him too.

"He's the same height as me, right?" Rose nodded looking at him puzzled. "And he has the same build too."

"What are you getting at?" His little sister asked tapping her foot impatiently. Skye materialised beside him, leaning against his arm and he wrapped her in an embrace.

"You just said that the only thing they have is a picture of two people that look like us, it could be anyone. Like you and Brock for example!" It was like a light bulb went off in Rose's head and she smiled deviously.

"I have an idea." She murmured reaching for her phone.

 **~oOo~**

"What happened was a great invasion of privacy and both Ms Ward and Mr Rumlow are very deeply disturbed. That trip was supposed to be for personal reasons since they decided to give their relationship another chance." They watched Bobbi, their new PR head, as she gave out the announcement Rose had very carefully worded. If you wanted to be perceived as the perfect victim you had to play it a certain way. "Those articles and photo spreads not only violated their privacy but went on to harm the rest of their family too. Grant Ward and Skye had never had any kind of personal relationship other than working together and sharing a deep friendship. Mr Ward is still happily married to his wife and they don't plan on changing that any time soon." Cameras flashed left and right as they all tried to capture the moment. For their turn the Ward siblings and Skye decided to stay back and not attend the press conference.

"My clients plan on moving legally against the tabloids and the reposters that were quick to drag their names through the mud. It's going to be hard but we plan on coming out of it as winners. No one should be subjected to what they were the past few days, and more so have people speak about their person without even knowing them." She wrapped up gathering her papers as the questions started raining down on her. "That will be all ladies and gentlemen, the rest will be settled in court. Thank you!" Bobbi stepped down from the podium and walked out of the room quickly.

Grant changed the channel as soon as the shot cut back to the reporters, they didn't need to hear anything else. "Sometimes I'm scared of you." Skye murmured from beside him making Rose smile. "This was a very elaborated lie for someone that swears up and down she's one of the most honest people in the job."

"I'm honest with my job," Rose retorted filling her glass of wine again. "But if you come after me with a knife I'll chase you down with a gun. No one is allowed to hurt my family and they should know about that by now. I told them repeatedly you were off limits and if something juicy came up I'd alert them to it personally."

"Like that day at the beach?" Grant asked referring to the day every citizen in America thought Skye was dating Kanye West because he had invited her over for a beer at his beach house. Truth was that Kanye just wanted to be a part of one of her songs and they were discussing it. That didn't stop the press from planning their wedding and naming their firstborn though.

Boy, was Kim pissed off!

"Exactly like that day at the beach." Rose shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "It's business, in order to stay on top of things you have to keep the press and the public happy. The photos did just that."

"Yeah, and I was almost strangled to death by Kim Kardashian's ass!" Skye huffed and they burst into laughter. Well no one said business was always pleasurable.

 **~oOo~**

"I wrote something new." She mumbled against his neck and Grant hummed softly. She had tire him out quite a bit the last few hours and Skye felt almost bad for the poor thing. But when it came to making love she was insatiable, maybe it was the fact that he was that good or that what they had was that special but Skye couldn't get enough of his kisses and his caresses and the way he felt inside her. "Wanna hear it?" she questioned resting her head on her hand.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" he asked sleepily. "You kind of run me to the ground." Skye pouted and fell beside him on the bed, turning her back to him. Grant rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. That always did the trick, the pout always got her what she wanted. Well, most of the time anyway. "I'll hear it but then you have to let me sleep at least six hours, I'm getting weak in my old age." He teased.

"You weren't complaining half an hour ago," she shot back saucily. "You said a lot of things but you weren't complaining." She stuck her tongue at him as she rolled out of the bed, stark naked. She heard him mumble something under his breath and smiled, not really needing to hear his words to know what he said. Something told her they'd actually go another round later instead of sleeping.

It's a funny thing how people tell you about love but you can't quite understand it unless you've felt it. That deep, unyielding kind of love, the one that can either make you laugh 24/7 or cry like your life just ended. That's what being with Grant felt like, like he was the air she breathed and the pillow that suffocated her at the same time. But at the same time he deserved every single second she suffered alone in her bed while he was away. Because he'd come back to her as soon as he was able to do so.

"It's a big fuck you to the press," she murmured as she let the music sheet fall on his lap. Grant's eyes ran over the lyrics once, twice, three times; reading and re reading what she'd written. She was prepared to put up a fight with him, just like any other time after all but his reaction took her by surprise.

"You know I normally would bitch and moan about a song like this," he started off. "But after what happened I think we have to go forward and produce it. I have the perfect person to help us bring it together in the best way possible." Skye squealed in delight and threw herself in his arms.

"Now, about that nap..." she said before she pulled his lips down against hers.

 **~oOo~**

There weren't many talk shows Skye enjoyed attending, or many reporters she liked to have a sit down with for that matter. So when the time to promote the song came she put her foot down and said she'd only go on Jemma's and Leo's show. She needed to get this out and get it out the right way and only FitzSimmons, as the press lovingly dubbed them, would be able to do that without trying to trash talk her more.

It had taken them weeks to get the cabin mess under control and even months later the press still went crazy over it. Most of the people were convinced that it was indeed a hoax and that it was Rose and Brock in the pictures but there were still the ones that questioned it and swore up and down that there was something more between the two of them. The only good thing though was that in order to get Sharon to behave Grant sent her on a trip to Milano with his Black American Express and that meant they had a lot of time alone.

Listening to the track now, Grant was right, bringing his mentor into the mix was the best decision ever. John brought something into the song that made it skyrocket to number one overnight. 'Fucked My Way Up To The Top' was everything like no other song Skye had written before. It was snarky and dark and called out every single asshole that labelled her a sell out or talentless or claimed that the only reason she had a deal in the first place was her talent in blowjobs. Which wasn't a lie, she was good at blowjobs, it just so happened that her talent for oral had nothing to do with her music.

As always FitzSimmons had a warm welcome for her backstage and caught up on what was going on with her life and about the questions they were going to ask. When Leo brought up the scandal she gave him an all clear to address it however he wanted. Which meant that when he did ask she was prepared.

"You know I hate to barge into your personal life," Leo started off. "But as a huge fan I was quite upset with all the rumours and the venom towards you. How did you feel and how is your new song connected with all that?"

"I'm so glad you brought that up." She smiled grateful at the way he approached it, direct yet still with tact. "What went down a few months ago will probably be filed as one of the worst moments of my life. Not only because my name was dragged through the mud but also for what two close friends went through. What happened to me was cruel but for Rose and Brock it was even worse. I think the media need to take a step back and stop interfering in other people's love lives." Both Leo and Jemma nodded along agreeing completely with her. "I was so upset by the things that were said about me that I cried for days and then I had a lovely conversation with John Garrett, he co produced the track with Grant, and he told me that I would never be able to please anyone or make everyone like me so I'd better start living for me and not for them."

"And that gave birth to the song?" Jemma asked in her serene voice.

"Yes, that gave birth to my new single." She smirked. To be honest the song was welcomed better than they thought and it only made her fans love her more. "I wrote the words, Grant helped me write the music and John helped with the remix. This track is my answer to all the negative things I've heard the past few months, this is the only time I'll address something along those lines."

"We sure hope something like that won't happen again." Leo smiled at the camera signalling the end of the show. FitzSimmons respected her wishes and didn't press for more details. "This has been Fitz and Simmons in The Morning, thank you so much for joining us!"

This should keep everyone at bay for now but Skye was sure they'd come after them again. There was a never ending game with the press and she knew it very well when she first got into the business. Sometimes it bothered her others it didn't, she was thankful she at least had people that loved her around her.


	5. Like A Lonesome Queen

**A/N: I think we all have to come to terms with the fact that I will update this only once in a year. Not because I don't want to write more but because I find difficult to write this much angst! Huge thank you to WelshWitch1011 both for answering the same medical questions again and again and for editing this chapter for me. On the bright side! It's almost 7k so ya know! It was worth the wait? Or maybe not. Anyway, the song was originally sung by Nina Simone but Lana covered it too and I'm in love with it!**

* * *

 _And when her old man comes to call_  
 _He finds her waiting like a lonesome queen_  
 _'Cause to be by her side it's such a change from old routine_  
 _But the other woman will always cry herself to sleep_  
 _The other woman will never have his love to keep_  
 _And as the years go by the other woman will spend her life alone, alone_

 _The Other Woman ~ Lana Del Rey_

* * *

 ** _New York_**

 ** _2013_**

"I really should get dressed," she murmured, but made no move to get up. They had been lazing around for the past couple of hours. Well, mostly, they also took breaks to make love in between. It always got Skye how even two years into their relationship, their passion was still burning bright as ever. If anything, their connection got stronger, and that showed even in their work. They finally reached the top, and no one could touch them now.

"I like you the way you are dressed right now." He teased and slapped her ass playfully, making her squeal in delight. Skye only wrapped her naked form tighter around his body, trying to melt herself into him. Days like these she begged to be devoured by him, and to stay happy in this moment forever, beside him. No media chasing after her, no shadow of his wife looming over them ready to take away everything they had. Nothing. It was like the outside world didn't exist.

Deep down Skye knew what they did was wrong and so did he. But at the same time, their situation wasn't easy either. Every time Grant tried to talk about a divorce to Sharon she would burst into tears or threaten to go to the press with the story and destroy them all, and they would go down the road of emotional blackmail that left every single one of them drained.

Skye, because she wanted to be with Grant openly more than anything. She wanted to be able to go out with him, have lunch in peace without worrying that someone might see them. She wanted to do all the things couples got to do together. Sleep on the same bed without having to wake up alone in the morning, take a weekend off without needing to organise an operation that even the best spies would be jealous of.

Grant, on the other hand, because he was pretty much done with Sharon. It was obvious long before Skye came into the picture that what they had was long gone. Once upon a time he had been in love with her, and maybe she had been in love with him too, but that wasn't the case now. Every time he had to leave Skye's flat she could see a little piece of him dying, because he had to go back to a reality he didn't want to live.

Then you had Sharon, who completely refused to acknowledge the whole mess they were all in. She kept living her life, spending Grant's money and being on the cover of magazines talking about her perfect marriage and perfect life even though the truth was far from it.

"Grant?"

"Yes?" He hummed, eyes still closed.

"Have you ever thought about having children?" Skye held her breath for a few seconds, watching his face carefully.

"With Sharon?" He asked.

"In general."

"I've thought about having them with you." He rolled to his side to face her, his gaze piercing through hers and Skye released that breath she was holding.

"Really?" Her smile lit up the entire room.

"You know I don't plan on spending the rest of my life with a woman I don't love, right?"

He cupped her cheek gently, running his thumb over it. "You're not some kind of dirty secret I'm hiding, Skye." he murmured rubbing his nose against hers.

"Well, I didn't know that until now," she admitted sadly. "You wouldn't be the first or the last to do something like that. I mean this is Hollywood, shit like that is expected!"

"That's not who I am." He chastised her and pulled her in his arms, her back to his chest. "I just need some time to figure out something that will benefit us all. I want Sharon to leave happy enough so she won't create too much drama. We've been through too much with the press, but mostly I don't want this to reflect badly on you. You're not the reason my marriage fell apart."

Skye nodded in understanding. The press was chasing after them as it was, they didn't need more pressure on them.

~oOo~

As one would guess, her question that evening hadn't been random. Skye was suspecting something was up and when she missed a second period she payed her doctor a visit. Lance only confirmed what she already knew - she was six weeks gone and everything looked good so far. Add to that Grant's thoughts about their future, and it only made her reach cloud nine sooner.

There was a point in her life, back when she was fourteen and still at the orphanage, that she thought she would never be blessed with a gift like this one again. The honest truth was that Skye had been nothing but a child and didn't know what she was getting into, but she really did want that baby. As a fourteen year old girl protection hadn't even crossed her mind when she had sex for the first time with her then boyfriend, or the rest of them for that matter. So the inevitable happened, and she ended up pregnant.

Of course he ran away when she told him about it, but she was determined to keep it. Maybe deep down she believed the nuns would help her too. Wasn't that what Christianity was about? God giving you a gift that you'll welcome no matter the situation? What she didn't expect however, was the cold shoulder she got in return when she told them what happened.

There was a moment of silence before they sent her to her room. Still Skye held onto the hope that this would work out in the end. Even if a little voice inside herself told her that it wouldn't. Against her better judgment she allowed herself to make plans, to fantasise how her belly would look as the baby grew. After three agonising hours, Sister Agatha informed her without much fanfare, that all her plans wouldn't matter because she wasn't keeping this baby. When Skye brought their religion and its teaching to question, the Sister simply told her that what was done was done. It had already been approved by the monsignor.

No amount of crying or begging did any good and come Monday noon the whole thing was done. Skye stayed at the orphanage only long enough to recover and then she was gone. She roamed the roads for a while, naturally got involved with the wrong crowds and did some things she wasn't proud of.

When that didn't work out either, she hitchhiked her way to Austin where she met Phil and Melinda and the rest as they say was history. The couple had taken her in after a tragedy of their own, and they helped each other to mend the wounds other people inflicted on them. They gave her a room, Phil put her back into school, and she got a part time job even though she didn't need to.

Occasionally her mind would drift back to what could have been if she had kept the baby, but she would always brush it off. It wasn't until the test came back positive that Skye realised how much she really wanted this child with Grant. Sure it wasn't ideal and they would go through hell, but at the end of the day it was all worth it because it would be a piece of them.

She skipped her way home. Cancelling her plans with Rose, Skye shot a text to Grant to meet her back at her flat. She made a cup of chamomile tea, as coffee was out of the question in her condition, slipped into a pair of comfy PJs and put on some re runs of Super-Nanny. She'd definitely need the tips, anyway.

That's how Grant found her, laying on her couch and smiling without a care. "I picked up dinner." He said as he kicked the door shut. "You do know that Rosie is having a meltdown that you canceled your rehearsal, right?" He teased and dropped the paper bag onto the coffee table.

Mr. Ward's birthday were coming up and just like any other year, it was supposed to be a huge event. Rose was planning a grand party with pretty much everyone invited, and Skye, as the biggest star of the label, was supposed to sing. Thus why Rose was freaking out over the fact that Skye canceled their planned rehearsal.

"I do." She nodded smiling widely, sitting up and almost bouncing in her seat. Grant dropped a kiss on her forehead, before he headed for the kitchen to pick up plates and glasses so they could have dinner. "I have something to tell you." That got his attention as he came back, hands full.

"Good or bad?" He asked pulling their food out of the bag, setting the containers out onto the coffee table.

"I'm pregnant." Skye announced and he froze in place.

"What?" He stuttered.

"I'm pregnant." Skye repeated and the next moment his arms were around her, his lips on hers, and he pulled her on her feet spinning her around.

"This is the most wonderful news I've ever heard." He laughed as they came up for air.

"Are you happy?" She asked shyly and he gave her a large grin.

"Happy doesn't even begin to cover it!" He assured her, moving towards the bedroom, their food long forgotten.

~oOo~

"We need a new place," He murmured as they lay tangled together, his head resting on her still flat stomach. "I'm not raising my children in the city." He placed a kiss to where their kid was supposed to be, running his fingers over her belly lazily.

"Children?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "As in plural?" She laughed softly and he only smiled wider.

"Well, yeah, this one needs a little brother or sister!" He explaining smiling like a fool.

"Settle down, will you?" She swatted him at the back of the head playfully as his lips found her sin a chaste kiss. "Let's have this one first and we'll talk about more later." Grant hummed in agreement as she pulled him between her legs again.

~oOo~

There was a reason Lance Hunter was the most sought out Ob-Gyn in New York ,and that was his level of discretion. No one knew who went in or out of his clinic unless the person in question wanted that information to be public. Let's be honest here, no matter how much celebrities bitched about it, most of the time they were the ones that handed out details about their lives to the press.

Skye wasn't one of them though. They had decided that it was for the best to keep her pregnancy on the down low for now until she was over her first trimester, and Grant had some time to break the news to Sharon. No one else knew about the baby except for them and Lance. So her doctor did his best to accommodate them when Skye asked for an after hours appointment.

True to his reputation, Lance didn't even blink when Grant walked into his office with her. Never once during the hour they were there did he look the wrong way at Grant or make a stupid joke. Which was why he was paid the amount of money he was, to be honest. He took a blood sample, and then moved to their first ultrasound. To say that their baby's heartbeat was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard would be the understatement of the century. At that moment it dawned on her just how much she wanted this, how much she wanted this baby and this life with Grant. By the look on his face it looked like his thoughts matched her.

"You're eight weeks along." Lance smiled, placing the ultrasound stick back and handing her a few tissues. "Everything looks fine so far but I still want you to be careful." He explained moving towards his desk. "I'll write you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins, all women take them, and I want you to rest as much as possible. I know how hard you work but take it easy for a while."

"Got you, Doc!" She snatched the piece of paper from him smiling widely. "Later!" She called over her shoulder dragging Grant behind her.

~oOo~

"Did you put on weight?" Rose eyed her carefully as the stylists tried to fit her in the dress they had been prepping just for her. It felt a little tighter in the bust and around her stomach, but other than that nothing else had changed on her body. Well nothing visibly anyway, the emotional part was on a whole other level. Not that she minded or anything.

"Maybe." Skye shrugged unfazed. "We have been eating take-out a lot lately. What with working on the new album and all." Skye was 99% sure that Rose knew something was up, but she didn't feel like discussing her pregnancy just yet. Not even with Rose, who was practically her sister in everything but blood. This was something between her and Grant, for now.

"Okay." Rose hummed, going back to her Blackberry.

~oOo~

"Philip." Grant said, looking up from his laptop. Sharon was God-knows-where on vacation, and that meant he was free to spend the night there. Which evidently had a lot to do with work, talking about promotions and deciding on release dates, rather than romantic dinners, and making love in front of the fireplace.

But she couldn't complain, no, quite the opposite actually, Skye yearned for these normal, domestic things. She didn't want anything more in life than spending evenings sharing a couch with Grant, him working on his Mac, while she watched re-runs of The Golden Girls.

"What?" She asked as she shoved another handful of popcorn into her mouth, her eyes never leaving the TV.

"If it's a boy, I think we should name him Philip." He explained. "Coulson is like a father to you. I think he'd really like that."

Skye put the bowl on the table and crawled over to him.

"You're amazing, you know that?" She smiled kissing his lips gently. "I think he'd like that too. Maybe name the baby after your mother if it's a girl?" She suggested.

"Yes. My father would be over the moon." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"You think he'd be okay with _this_?" She asked after a few moments, pointing between them and then towards her flat stomach.

"I don't know if you've noticed," He whispered into her ear softly, "But my family absolutely adores you. They'll be over the moon with the news." Grant assured her.

"Look, I realise this situation is not perfect," Skye pulled back slightly. "But-"

"Stop." Grant placed a finger on her lips. "My marriage did not fall apart because of you. Sharon and I were done long before you came into my life. I know what it looks like, I know what people will say, but it's also not the truth. I want this baby and I want _us_! Nothing and no one will change that."

"I love you." She smiled wiping a few tears away.

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead, his hand resting on her flat stomach. "Never forget that."

~oOo~

"I was pregnant once before." She whispered quietly, breaking the silence in her room. They had laid down a good half an hour ago, but sleep just wouldn't come to her.

"Oh?"

"Yes." She turned in his arms to face him. "I was fourteen. A child, really. I was young and stupid and it never crossed my mind it could happen. I got pregnant, my boyfriend left me, and the nuns forced me to kill it. I wanted it, I was young but I wanted that child, and I didn't have any choice in it."

"I'm sorry." He murmured, kissing her forehead.

"I think I never forgave myself for not putting up more of a fight or running away sooner." She confessed. "I really, really, _really_ want this baby." She added a few seconds later. "I want _us_." She said repeating what he told her earlier.

"I'm right here, Skye." His words put her mind at ease.

"Promise?" She asked, wrapping herself around him tighter.

"I promise." He said pulling her even closer if that were possible.

~oOo~

The past few weeks had been perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

She had spent most of her time with Grant, making plans about their future together and the little person growing inside of her. Her new album was coming along nicely, and the paparazzi had stopped chasing after all of them. Naturally, Skye knew something was about to get screwed.

It started off as small stabs of pain, barely there. Cramps were nothing unusual her doctor had said, so she didn't pay them any mind. They had the party in a few hours, Grant was still holed up at the studio and she was helping Rose with anything she could. The pain grew slightly stronger, but Skye went about her business.

It wasn't until she saw the blood in her underwear that she knew something was wrong. Maybe if she had gone sooner, maybe if she had paid attention to the pain, maybe then she wouldn't have to go through this again. The look on Lance's face told her everything she needed to know.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured as he placed the ultrasound wand back into its place. "There's nothing we can do." And as he said those words Skye felt something tear inside of her, clawing its way out and she barely registered the loud sob. His voice faded out as the ache in both her heart and stomach grew stronger.

She could see Rose through blurred eyes standing by the door. She was crying too or maybe they were just her tears. "We'll have to..." Lance explained everything to her but Skye tuned him out. Nothing mattered anymore. She just curled into herself, trying to hold onto a shattered dream just for one more second.

~oOo~

"I'm sorry." Those were the first words out of her mouth. Grant was sitting on the plastic chair beside her bed, his hand holding onto hers tightly. "I tried. I'm sor-"

"I know." He nodded placing a soft kiss against her lips, silencing her. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. Lance said that sometimes it just happens. You did nothing wrong." He assured her, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Then why does it feel like I did?" She asked quietly, and Skye knew he didn't have the answer.

"Rest." He said instead, and rose from his seat.

"Okay." She agreed, her hand resting on her stomach.

~oOo~

Lance kept her overnight to make sure everything was fine. He prescribed some Xanax for her since she couldn't sleep properly from the stress but told her to use them only if push came to shove. Grant never left her side the whole time, but after a while it became too much for her.

Everyone walked on eggshells around her, and Skye absolutely loathed it. She could hear Grant and Rose arguing outside her door non stop. She could hear the hurt in Rose's voice because they had kept a secret like that. Then it would switch to anger because if she'd have known, she'd have been looking out for Skye too, and it just never ended.

But no matter how much she loved them both, Skye couldn't bother with either of them. She still couldn't deal with the reality of what happened, of what could have been. Everyone told her it wasn't her fault, Lance even explained that sometimes the body rejects the baby for one reason or another and that's what happened to her, but still. Skye felt like this was entirely her fault, once more she failed to protect her child like she had done so many years ago back at St Agnes'.

"I want to take a nap." She said, as Grant dropped her bags by the door.

"Do you want me to lay down with you?" He asked moving towards her, but she took a step back.

"No." She held her hands up. "I want to- Can I please be alone for a while?"

"Sure." He nodded and Skye could clearly see the pain in his eyes. Right now though she couldn't deal with it. Kicking her shoes off she reached for the pill bottle in her purse and popped one.

~oOo~

She faded in and out for a couple of hours. Both Rose and Grant checked on her every few minutes and at some point she heard the rest of Grant's family dropping by but she couldn't find it in her to go and see them. Deep down, Skye felt like an absolute failure, no matter what everyone else said.

It was her job to keep their baby safe, just for nine months. It was her job and she failed at it. All those plans they made, looking at nurseries and cribs, and houses, thinking that maybe this time the universe would spare her. But no, Skye could not have what she wanted.

Skye could not have the one thing she desired most.

A baby with the only man she ever loved, and it was all her fault.

~oOo~

It was a surprise that the press didn't catch wind of what happened. It wasn't until she touched her iPad that she saw the news about her being overworked. Which was kind of a perfect storm what with the new album and all. Her fans wished her all the best, friends and enemies sent over basket after basket with fake words of sympathy, but nothing could make her feel better.

It had been two weeks and she still couldn't let go of what happened. It was silly, really, she wasn't even that far along (only 13 weeks gone) but Skye wanted this so much she never thought something would go bad. Everyone seemed very understanding, even Christian's wife dropped by to see her, but Skye wasn't in the mood.

Instead, she dived into her work. Recordings, corrections, last minute additions, interviews, and so on. She didn't even realise that she hadn't been alone with Grant in days until he brought it up. Sharon was supposed to be back tomorrow and he wanted to see her. The only problem was, that Skye didn't feel like it. Not because he did anything wrong, no, he had been close to perfect, and it only served to make her guilt grow stronger.

"I really want to see you tonight." He whispered grabbing her wrist gently. "I missed you." Skye lowered her eyes to the floor and pulled her wrist away.

"I'm tired." She murmured back and even she knew the excuse was lame. "Maybe another time." Something flashed in his eyes and his expression turned sore.

"You're not the only one that lost someone they loved." He snapped turning back to the console, a slap across the face would have hurt less.

"Fuck you." She bit back, suddenly angry. The tension from the past few days was finally reaching a peak.

"Been there, done that, sweetheart." He called back with equal venom, as the door slammed closed hard behind her.

She didn't have time for this.

For _them_.

Whatever ' _them_ ' meant anymore.

~oOo~

She knew she was falling.

She was falling into old habits and she was falling fast, and to be honest she was scared to see how this would end. It was like she was fourteen again and on the streets, instead of a beautiful penthouse somewhere in Manhattan. She appeared to be just fine, and that was her answer every time anyone asked her how she was feeling, but Skye was drowning slowly. Something was pulling her under, crushing the air out of her lungs, and for the life of her she couldn't shake it off.

The cherry on the top of this mess, was that she hadn't seen Grant in a whole week and it was driving her crazy. She knew she had been an absolute asshole during this whole thing and she wanted to make it up to him. He didn't deserve this behaviour when he was going through the same thing.

Rose had said he would be away for the weekend, going to a friend's wedding or something. But she was sure he wouldn't mind her calling. Would he? She wondered, as her fingers hovered over the phone's screen. Taking a deep breath she finally dialled his number praying to whichever God was listening that she wasn't too late.

"Hello?" Skye's heart dropped to her stomach as the familiar voice reached her. "Hello? Skye? Can you hear me?" Sharon tried again, her voice dripping sugar.

"Sharon, hi." She forced out, her throat suddenly feeling dry. "I called Grant, right?"

"Yes." Sharon assured her, still chipper. "He just jumped in the shower, we had quite the night. If you know what I mean." She joked and Skye felt her sour mood coming back in all its glory. "Anyway, do you want to leave a message?"

"No, thank you." Skye tried to suppress the bile rising in her mouth, trying to hold on one moment longer. "It can wait."

The line went dead, and with that, Skye died a little more too.

~oOo~

The first emotion to take over was rage.

Pure, unadulterated rage.

Yes, she hadn't been perfect the last couple of weeks, but that didn't mean he could do something like that. Did it really take him one small bump in their road to run back to Sharon and the safety of their failed marriage? Maybe it was all a good excuse to keep her on their side too. Of course he denied it every time Skye claimed something along those lines, but then again he wouldn't be the first to do so.

Only the thought that he had made love with _her_ drove Skye insane.

Which was when rage was replaced with revenge. If he would go back to his beloved wife, then Skye would live her life too. God knows she had never lived like a true A list celebrity, opting for a low profile type of persona. Grabbing her phone she scrolled through the contacts until she found the one she was looking for. She pressed 'call' and waited for the line to connect.

"Lorelei. Hey!" She spoke cheerfully into the receiver. "What are you up to tonight?"

~oOo~

Lorelei was one of the first people she met when she got to New York. She was an heiress with a bitchy attitude and too much time on her hands, but also one of the most honest people Skye knew. Sure, most people hated her, but no one would actually say it to her face. Lorelei somehow also managed to have her fingers in all kind of pies.

Grant simply couldn't stand Lorelei, which was kind of a perfect storm for Skye. When they started working together he'd always make a point to put Lorelei down and point it out that drugs and partying wasn't really what Skye wanted to do. Careers had fallen apart for much less. Skye listened to him back then because she knew what addiction was like and she really wanted to make something for herself. But after the last few weeks, everything and everyone could fuck off.

"Well, well, well," Lorelei smirked as she threw her door wide open. "If it isn't my favourite rock star!" She teased, and then Skye was pulled into a living room full of people. Lorelei didn't ask where she had been, or why she hadn't returned her calls in months. She just passed a glass of champagne to her and went back to mingling.

Soon enough, Skye was doing the same.

~oOo~

She lost count of how much she drank, but somewhere between the wanna-be-white-rapper and the desperate housewife no one cared about, she took a Xanax. Nothing unusual with the way things were lately, but the Mary-Jane one of Lorelei's friends passed her made everything fade away.

There was no more pain from the loss of the baby.

No more lies from Grant to hurt her.

Nothing.

Only her and the cold, cloudy New York skyline.

"Mind if I take a seat?" Her head rolled to the side, her eyes landing on a very cute guy. Tall, kind of muscular (not as much as Grant, but enough to make a girl drool), with a beard. Skye had a thing for beards, they turned her on. That's why she never let Grant shave his face clean. Her smile faltered at the thought of him, but she quickly pushed it to the back of her mind.

Grant Ward could go fuck himself, with his perfect gold digger of a wife and perfect marriage.

"Only if you tell me your name." She smiled coyly, her thoughts venturing down more enjoyable paths. Like the guy in front of her - that she wouldn't mind being under her, over her, or even behind her in like an hour, tops. If the bastard she called the love of her life could screw someone else surely that meant Skye could do the same. Right? She could let someone other than _him_ put their hands on her body, let them kiss her and caress her like only a lover should.

"Joey Gutierrez." The name sounded familiar and maybe if she wasn't that high she could remember him, but right now that wasn't an option. "On a scale of 1 to 10 how high are you right now?" He asked dropping beside her on the porch swing.

"Like, eleven?!" She snorted, taking another sip of her drink. He was cute. Very, very cute. So cute Skye wouldn't mind going home with him and fucking him once or twice, paying Grant back the same way he betrayed her. See how he felt about letting someone else fuck her. He'd probably claim it was different for him, he _was_ married to Sharon, after all.

"I think you should stop drinking." He said, smile still in place, their lips only a breath away. When had she moved this close? Skye saw the chance and took it. You only live once, right? She leaned and tried to plant her mouth against his, but Joey stopped swiftly.

"Woah." He murmured grabbing her jaw gently. "Hold the phone for a minute." He grinned, but Skye felt the rejection fall over her like a cold bucket of water. Did he know who she was? Did he know that any man on this planet would sell their soul for just one night with her?

"What?" She snapped. "You think you're too good for me?" Anger took over and a small part of her knew she wasn't rational. She had made an unsolicited move towards a poor soul that had no idea how fucked up she was yet, she couldn't help the rage.

"Easy, baby girl." He teased. "No one said that. You and I…" He grabbed for words desperately. "It's just that you and I have the same preferences." He finished, winking.

"Huh?" Skye titled her head to the side, slightly confused.

"You know," Joey pressed. "We like our lovers tall, dark, and moody."

Skye blinked at him again. Maybe it was the Xanax, or the weed, or the alcohol, but he was trying to say something Skye couldn't figure out right now. Joey laughed again, probably at the stupid expression she was sporting, but what can you do?! "I'm gay."

"Oh!" Something finally clicked inside her head. She felt back against the porch swing. Leave it up to Skye to find the gay guy in a party and try to get him into her bed.

"Yes." Joey hummed. "Oh!" They stayed in silence, the swing rocking gently back and forth. "You miss him, don't you?" He asked quietly.

"Just a little." She admitted bitterly and took another sip from her drink. She did miss him after all, he might be a lying asshole, but she still loved him.

More than she should.

More than he deserved.

"Come here," Joey opened his arms in a friendly hug. It took her only three seconds before she buried herself in it. He was a stranger, yes, she knew that but she needed someone right now. "He's not worthy of you." Joey murmured and kissed her forehead.

Maybe he was right.

Maybe Grant Ward didn't deserve her or her love.

Not when he had betrayed her like that.

~oOo~

She woke up to the smell of pancakes and eggs, and with the worst hangover known to man. She remembered bits and pieces of last night. Going to the party, drinking, meeting Joey, and that was pretty much where she drew a blank. No memory of how she got home, or how she fell into her bed. Looking down at herself she let out a breath, her clothes were still on which meant she didn't do anything stupid. Letting out a groan she sat up, pushing her hair out of her face.

Every step she took felt like a small part of her was dying. She had sworn she'd never get high and drunk at the same time again she really had, but here she was anyway, breaking that very oath. She made her way to her bathroom as fast as her condition would let her, she needed to wash last night off of her. Maybe a hot shower would ease the pounding in her head too.

Twenty minutes later she stepped out, her comfy bathrobe wrapped tight around her. The mystery cook in her kitchen _was_ Joey after all and he grinned widely when he saw her. Obviously he had helped himself into the guests' bathroom and had taken a shower himself. Where he had found Grant's pyjamas, Skye had no idea.

"Good morning!" Joey said cheerily.

"Fuck you." She answered taking a seat on a stool and grabbing for the coffee mug he was holding.

"That's not a nice thing to say to someone that prepared you breakfast after you got shit faced and hurled all over him!" He chastised good naturally and Skye rested her head against the cool marble of the kitchen island. Bad habits did die hard after all.

"I'm so sorry." She apologised sheepishly, shoving a piece of pancake into her mouth.

"Nothing that hasn't happened to me before." Joey shrugged it off, still smiling. Skye took the scene in for a moment, a small sliver of happiness hanging around her. She let it soak in, reach deep down to her bones. It had been so long since she had felt anything remotely close to happiness. Days, weeks, maybe even months. She wasn't sure anymore.

Joey was so easy to be around, so, so easy. Just for a little while she could ignore the empty feeling low in her stomach, where a baby should have been. She could pretend that her heart wasn't growing darker by the minute. That the man she loved didn't betray her and her world hadn't turned upside down. Joey wouldn't become a lover for her to lose herself in, but maybe he could become a friend. A new friend that would help her move on.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Joey's soft voice brought her out of her thoughts. He took a bite of his own food and eyed her carefully.

"Do I?" She echoed, not sure herself. Truth was, she hadn't talked about what happened with anyone. She hadn't been ready back then, but she knew that if she kept it locked up it would blow up in her face. Probably ruin her like it did when she was young.

"Whatever you want, baby girl." He shrugged. "You never know, I might be able to help."

Skye's eyes locked with his for a few brief moments, contemplating what he offered. Would it be a wise move? To open up to a stranger? Then again the one person she trusted most failed her and ran away at the first sign of problems. She took a deep breath, another sip of her coffee, and dived in.

She wasn't sure how long they had been sitting in her kitchen, but the pancakes were gone and they were on their second pot of coffee. There might have been some tears, a few laughs, one or two dirty jokes, but talking about it made her feel better. Lighter. As if a huge weight had been lifted from her chest. In a way it was true. She needed to talk to someone that wasn't Grant or Rose, someone that had no connection to what she lost.

"Damn." He laughed into his mug after she was done. "That was some Class A love story." He winked at her and she smiled.

Joey told her that he didn't know for sure what was going on between her and Grant, but people were talking. He also told her that they hadn't been as discreet as they thought either; someone _had_ caught them lingering too close more than once. The team around them just worked very well and it never reached the media. So without proof, whatever was said still remained a rumour.

"So..." He trailed off mischievously, leaning closer. "How good was he in bed?"

Just as Skye was about to tell him, a key turned in the door's lock and their heads snapped towards it. She was perfectly aware of how this would look to someone from the outside. Her still in her bathrobe, hair half wet - Joey in pyjamas, sharing cups of coffee and giggling like teenagers. The look on Grant's face as he took in the scene before him gave her a sick sense of satisfaction. Knowing what this looked like, what he thought she had done fanned the raging flames inside of her. After that call, after what Sharon had implied on the phone, he deserved a taste of his own poison.

"I see I'm interrupting." Grant's hostile tone made pretty clear how this would turn out. His fingers tightened on the paper bag he was holding. Donuts from her favourite shop if she guessed right, and a bouquet of roses hanging limply from his other hand.

"As a matter of fact, you are." She bit back, she jumped from her stool. Joey stayed where he was, as if sensing the storm coming up, trying to blend into the background. "What do you want, Grant?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest, lips tight. Anger flared inside her again as thoughts of what he had done came rushing back.

"To see how you're doing." He answered, his eyes narrowing. "From the looks of it, you didn't waste any time."

"Excuse me?" She snarled taking a step closer.

"Clearly, I mean your new friend." He nodded towards Joey and Skye's eyes narrowed too. "You're not losing any time, are you? We had _one_ serious fight and you're already jumping on someone else's dick." Her hand came down hard against his cheek, his head snapping to the side from the force.

"How dare you?" She spat. "How dare you blame me for something you did? I know you slept with Sharon!" His face tightened at her words. "I screwed up!" Skye yelled. "I screwed up, I pushed you away and the first thing you did was run back to your _perfect_ little wife and your _perfect_ little marriage!"

"My baby died too!" He blew up. "I wanted that child just as much as you did. I was hurting too! I was hurting and I needed you, and you shut me down!"

"So what? Because I wouldn't give you the attention you wanted you buried your sorrow in your wife's pussy? The first rough bump and you run back to your safety?! Or was I just a fun break? Huh?"

"I love you and you know it." He said quietly.

"Didn't stop you from fucking Sharon." He seemed surprised at her words, but it only fired her up. "I called! I called to apologise and your little _debutant_ told me all about your amazing weekend. Tell me, Grant," Her voice dropped a few tones, filled with venom, "Did she blow you? Did she suck your dick until you came in her mouth?" Her words turned into daggers and she knew where to aim them. Skye knew how to fire them in order to shatter Ward the same way he shattered her. "Did she let you fuck her up the ass too?" He flinched and Skye smiled, but there was nothing warm or happy about it.

"It wasn't like that." He took a step back, shaking his head.

"Oh, really?" She went on, jabbing a finger against his chest. "So you didn't sleep with her?"

"I-" He tried to say but a stern look from her stopped him.

"I think it's time for you to leave." Skye whispered and turned her back on him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Skye, please." He begged, but neither of them knew what he was begging for.

"Leave, Grant." Her words were final, and for a heartbeat she thought he wouldn't listen to her.

The first sob broke out after the door closed shut.

On the second, Joey's arms were around her.

On the third, the emptiness moved from her belly up to her heart.

It might have looked like she had been at the top of the world but at this single moment, she couldn't feel lower.


	6. Do you remember my name?

**A/N: Another chapter in the same year? Go me! Thank you to Daisy for her help with Skye's dress description and for letting me bother her non stop. To Nic, thank you for the help with editing, you know I love you!**

 **Songs to listen to while reading this:**  
 **Kinda Outta Luck - Lana Del Rey**  
 **She's not me - Lana Del Rey**  
 **High by the beach - Lana Del Rey**  
 **Cola - Lana Del Rey**  
 **This is what makes us girls - Lana Del Rey**

* * *

 _You try to forget and you tell her that you miss her_

 _But I bet every time you go to kiss her_

 _You get a hot rush feeling on your lips..._

 _It's me taking over you, throwing you a curved ball._

 _Reminding you of that true romancin'_

 _Just like the first time, you and me dancin'._

 _I'll show you all those moves she can't do_

 _She's not me..._

 _She's not me ~ Lana Del Rey_

* * *

 **New York**

 **2013**

 **Spring**

* * *

She sighed as she curled the last strand of hair. Skye had no desire to go to another party what so ever. But Rose had sent her a text that didn't leave her much choice. Not that they had talked a lot lately. After her fallout with Grant, Skye had pushed everyone away. She needed some space to find herself again and that wasn't possible when everything around her reminded her of him. Three months later and her heart still clenched painfully every time someone mentioned him.

His resignation as her producer came as no surprise to the people around them. At least to the few that knew what was really going on between them. It was evident that they had gone back to hating each other in what felt like a single second. He gave out some bullshit excuse about needing to do something different to the press and Skye just released a modest statement wishing him all the best. There were some waves but people let it go quickly. After that it was like Grant Ward had never existed in her life. He flew back to Los Angeles and made a point of avoiding anything to do with Skye. The constant front page articles about him and his holier-than-thou wife only stoked Skye's hate for him. Joey had pointed out many times that this wasn't healthy and she needed to let it go but the wounds were still fresh and bleeding.

In all this mess Skye neglected her friendship with Rose. Partly because of the needing space thing but mostly because every time they were in the same room everything that had happened came rushing back , forcing Skye to her knees again. The night she met Joey was a turning point for her, if it hadn't been for him she would have wandered down paths she didn't want to. Skye would always be extremely grateful for the new friend fate had sent her way. The fact that he stuck around after helped a lot. Instead of trying to destroy herself she found more healthy ways to deal with the loss of her child. Like talking to a professional for example; and man, what a difference had that made.

The issue stayed though, Skye hadn't spoken to Rose in ages and a large part of her realized that that was a dick move. She had failed as a friend. But Rose had so many ties to Grant and Skye just couldn't bear being in her presence. At least not at the given moment. She was getting there, though. She would fix this mess eventually. Just as Victoria, her doctor, had said - she couldn't do it all at once . She planned on calling Rose one of these days. She would even beg on her knees for forgiveness and hope the other woman would understand. Skye just needed to put herself back together before she tried to make any amends.

"Joey!" She called loudly. " Where the fuck are you? My jumpsuit is hanging in the hallway closet. Did you find Narnia or something?" She sighed and moved towards the door of her bedroom. Thankfully she wouldn't have to attend this farce all by herself. She had roped Joey into coming with her. The press would go nuts about it but they didn't really care. Papers and tabloids had taken to calling them the biggest 'power couple' in the music industry right now. Since nor Skye neither Joey had shut down the rumors the public was already planning their wedding and naming their first child.

It was a comfortable agreement for both. Skye could use it to make Grant stew in his own juices while Joey got everyone off of his back. Even in these times the audience and the music scene (and pretty much the entire world) were still prejudiced against gay people. Joey had seen how it could destroy careers and he had worked very hard for his own. He wasn't going to give it up so easily. One day, of course, one day he'd come clean to everyone and most of all to himself. Just not now.

"You are not wearing that!" Joey shook his head as he eyed the outfit she had picked for tonight. It wasn't bad per se, the red jumpsuit would look rather well on Skye. It was just the fact that this was a political fundraiser and everyone would be dressed up to the nines. There was no way in hell he was letting his best friend walk in that room wearing anything else but the perfect outfit.

"The hell I am!" Skye shot back, hands on her hips.

"You do realize everyone is going to be there, right?" He fixed her with a chastising glare. "And I mean _everyone_!" Her face fell and the little good mood she had was gone. The entire Ward family was going to be at that party, including he-who-must-not-be-named and his wife. Great, this was just fucking great!

"I'm not wearing that ," she agreed as they both stepped into her bedroom again.

 **~oOo~**

Naturally they were late because of course she didn't have anything they could use in her closet. Contrary to popular belief Skye didn't parade around in high-end, expensive gowns. All she had were flannel shirts, jeans and T-Shirts. Bless her good luck, Joey knew a guy, who knew a guy, who knew a guy that worked for a well - known fashion designer. In the end, it was worth it, though. The dress was one of the most beautiful things Skye had ever seen.

The sleeves ran down to her wrists, with a lacy bodice wrapping tight around her upper body. Skye took pleasure in knowing that no matter how much she and Grant hated each other he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of the deep V that only made her boobs look even more fantastic. If that didn't give him a heart attack, the slit that came up mid - thigh would definitely do the job. If the press' reaction while she walked the red carpet was any indication Skye was about to win the 'we broke up and I'm doing best' game.

"You're tense ," Joey whispered as he looped his arm through hers.

"Am not ," she hissed and forced her shoulders to relax. What? She wasn't! Her heart wasn't trying to break out of her chest because she hadn't seen him in three months. Her legs didn't feel like jelly because a small part of her still loved him to the point of being annoying. Joey was about to snap something back when Tommy spotted them and dragged them over to where Mr. Ward were talking to some politicians Skye had seen a few times in the news.

She didn't have any time to think about Grant Ward and how he shattered her heart into a million pieces for the next two hours.

 **~oOo~**

Skye had tuned everyone out after a certain amount of time. In her short Hollywood experience she had learned that she should keep to herself where politics were concerned. Mainly because Skye was coming from the lower class so she tended to tell most of the big heads off. The amount of stupidity some people paraded around because they had money was ridiculous. Of course there were the occasional logical people she could talk to but they were far and few in between. Add to that the fact that someone had forced them all into sitting on the same table and her mood was just horrible. She had spent the past hour having to endure small talk with Sharon and exchanging glares with Grant.

To her surprise, Rose had taken up the role of the referee and defused almost all arguments before they could get out of hand. Skye couldn't help but study the woman Grant called his wife. Sharon Carter-Ward was tall and thin, her hair the palest of blondes and her blue eyes could rival the colour of the clear sky. No one could deny that she was beautiful, but there was a permanent sneer painted on her face that made you dislike her the moment she spoke. Skye had seen her snap at people that worked for the Wards and regarded anyone with even a penny less than what she had unworthy of her time. Skye couldn't put up with that thus why they clashed heads constantly.

"So," Sharon completely ignoring the sore mood around the table turned a dazzling smile towards Joey. "You guys have been seeing each other for a while, Gutierrez." Both Skye and Grant went rigid. Grant still thought Skye and Joey were together and she made no effort to prove otherwise. "Are you an item or what? The fans want to know!" Tommy took a long sip of wine, while Christian and Anna looked around, trying to come up with something to distract Sharon. A few long moments went by until Joey returned her smile with one of his own.

"We don't like to put labels on things ," he said, his voice full of confidence. Sensing Skye's mood Joey grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together and brought it to his mouth. His lips ghosting over her knuckles. "I'm just lucky to be in Skye's life. For as long and in any way she needs me!" He placed a kiss against her cold fingers in a way only a man in love would do and Skye let out a long breath.

"That's nice ," Sharon murmured but her smile had shifted to her usual sneer now. Skye knew the other woman was fully aware of what went on between her and Grant. Skye also knew that Sharon had been ecstatic with the fact that Grant hadn't gone through with the divorce, and obviously wasn't considering it any longer . She could keep spending his money to her heart's content.

"Sharon," Andrew Garner, a long time Ward family friend tried to ease the tension. Skye had met him a few times; he was a good guy but preferred to keep to himself, "You and Grant planning to expend your family any time soon?" Skye's heart dropped to her stomach as Sharon's expression turned into a gleeful one. Andrew had no way of knowing what really went on in Skye's life so she knew the question was innocent, he wasn't trying to be malicious. It still cut through her like knife, though. A very sharp and well-aimed knife to her heart.

"Sooner than you might expect ," Sharon answered cryptically, grabbing Grant's hand the same way Joey had done with Skye's. Completely ignoring that the man in question looked like he'd like to be anywhere but here , or talking about anything else but that. Skye was sure that Grant would be more willing to go on live TV to talk about the current political situation than address this. Skye for her part forced her most pleasant smile, avoiding the looks the people she felt like family were giving her and got to her feet.

"I need another drink ," she announced and stalked to the bar, Grant's gaze burning holes against her back.

 **~oOo~**

Four shots of tequila later the pain had numbed a little. It was still there, would always be, Skye had come to terms with it. But it had dulled down to a simmer . Bracing her hands against the marble sink she met her eyes in the bathroom mirror. Joey's friends had done remarkable work patching up her poor make up job. Somehow they had managed to bring back some of the old Skye, the person she was before she had an affair with Grant. Before she lost a baby she desperately wanted. Before the perfect life she had built inside her head came crashing down around her. If she closed her eyes she could pretend nothing had changed.

Taking a deep breath, Skye pushed everything to the back of her head and stepped outside. She only had to brave through another twenty minutes and then come up with a lame excuse to get out of there. Donnie was already by the car, waiting for her and Joey. She had made the rounds Mr. Ward wanted, taken photos with the right people and played nice with everyone. All she needed was to get into her pajamas and watch Netflix for a week straight. Despite the perfect facade she put up, this whole charade was draining.

One moment she was walking down the hallway back to the ballroom and the next she was pulled in an empty office. A scream choked at the back of her throat as the familiar cologne assaulted her senses. Skye meant to push him away, slap him, scratch him, anything. Instead her clutch fell to the floor, crashing loudly against the marble loudly. Somehow her heart took control and three months apart bled into a searing kiss. A kiss that jolted every nerve in her body back to life. There was nothing gentle about it, all teeth and frantic moves, trying to get each other as close as possible. Skye came back to herself when they parted, in need of air. Her hand connecting against his cheek made him stagger back a few steps in surprise.

"Do not," he snarled as he pinned her against the wall. "Fucking slap me again." The fire burning in his eyes matched hers as Skye grabbed him by the shirt and crushed her mouth against his . They moved together in sync , his lips trailing low, down to her neck to a place he knew no one wouldnotice and sucking small bruises on her skin. He was marking her, she knew that, but Skye couldn't find it in her to care.

"Fuck you ," she moaned when his fingers slipped between her legs, tracing familiar paths. Not one to be outdone, Skye cupped him over his pants,finding him hard and ready against her small hand. She could feel his breath hitch for a moment, catching at the back of his throat.

Grant picked her up easily, walking them towards the oak desk in the middle of the room. He laid her down with a gentleness Skye loathed, this wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't what she needed. Her brain was in overdrive, screaming for her to get the hell out of there but her body ached for him. It ached to have him back inside her, where he belonged. Her head fell back when his mouth travelled down her throat.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pulled up the skirt of her dress. Grant whined when she reached down, unzipping his dress pants. This would be hard, fast and full of hate, but she wouldn't have it any other way. He had hurt her ; he didn't deserve gentle touches and loving kisses. Skye bit her lip as he pushed inside her in one swift thrust. It burned in the most delicious way possible, pleasure and pain mixing together, bringing back old memories. Ones that were both a weapon to destroy her and something to bring her back to life.

Her hands slipped under his pristine, white shirt and her nails dug into the skin of his back. Skye was giving back as much as she got, whispering orders in his ear, demanding a kiss here, a touch there. Demanding him to prove she was the only one and he didn't deny her anything. She fell apart with a gasp, his fingers working her clit as he used her the same way she used him. Her whole body shivered with the aftershocks as she came down, only to be pushed over the edge again a second time. This time he came with her, stilling for a moment as he emptied himself inside her.

One heartbeat.

His head against her chest.

Two heartbeats.

His lips on her skin.

On the third she pushed him away.

Sliding down from the desk she walked towards the door swiftly , ignoring him calling her name.

 **~oOo~**

"We need to go ," she hissed, grabbing Joey's arm and pulling him behind her. They rushed through the hallways quickly, praying no one paid them too much attention.

"What happened to you?" he hissed back and Skye kind of wished she had looked in a mirror before she stepped into the ballroom again. "You look like you just had sex." He laughed to himself before catching Skye's eye. "Oh God! Oh God!" There was no doubt about what she did and he finally followed willingly to the elevator lift.

"Kind of what I was saying a few minutes ago." She shook her head as they stepped inside and she pushed the down button anxiously. They needed to get out of here right fucking now.

"Boy, I'm so glad we don't have to go through the paps again." Joey let out a sigh of relief as the doors opened to Donnie already waiting for them by the car.

He had been her driver for a year now and it looked like he was sticking around permanently. He never asked where or why she was going places and made a point of keeping his mouth shut. Skye had tested him, a good journalist friend had offered him a good sum of money for juicy details about his boss' personal life and the boy just turned it down point blank.

"Home, Donnie ," she called as they climbed into the SUV.

 **~oOo~**

Joey's gaze had been glued to her for the past hour. They hadn't talked about what happened last night. Not that Skye was too keen on doing so but whatever. Even she had no idea what possessed her to fuck Grant again given their current situation. She blamed it on the alcohol and to the fact that no matter how pissed she was her heart still clung to the traces of love she had left.

"Was this a one time thing?" Joey finally broke the silence.

"I don't know." She shook her head.

"Is it something you want to repeat?" He pressed.

"I don't know ," she shot back defensively.

"Skye-"

"Look," she cut him off. "I don't know why I did it. I don't know if it's gonna happen again. But what I do know is that I don't want it to bring me down. I can't afford to lose myself like I did when I was a teenager, or like I almost did the night I met you. I'm older, I'm better, I'm stronger. With or without Grant." Joey smiled softly and grabbed her hand, squeezing kindly.

"What do you want to do then?" he asked.

"I want to make music ," she answered simply and Joey nodded in understanding.

* * *

 **New York**

 **2013**

 **Summer**

* * *

Three months.

It took them three months to put together an album that took the audience by storm. Three months of constant take out, of almost no sleep and quite a few tears. It was praised by both fans and critics and managed to even sway the people that tended to dismiss everything that had to do with Skye and her music. The songs ranged from angsty and heartfelt to tongue in cheek.

Skye wouldn't have managed anything without Joey or John Garrett and his team. Joey was her moral support and occasional partner in crime. Egging her on when she was stuck and lyrics wouldn't come out. John on the other hand came to her rescue as soon as she called. No questions asked. She was ninety nine percent sure that he knew what went down between Grant and herself. He was a dear friend and a mentor to Grant after all. John was also a professional, and he knew not to mix his personal life with his business one. So he did his job brilliantly and produced a superb album when they were done.

The song that stayed at the chart tops for weeks, though, wasn't even in her own album. Halfway through the writing process Joey came to her with something he wrote and offered her a part in it. Skye fell in love with it the moment she read the words. 'Love the way you lie' managed to capture in three minutes an almost three year long relationship and was the final step for Skye to let go of the past and what happened.

If the fans loved the song, they completely lost it with the video clip that accompanied it. Skye suspected that having two quite famous and loved actors in it helped a lot too. Then again Chloe and Brett had unbelievable chemistry so it was only natural they'd take it to the next level. But it was more than just a song for Skye, being in it, singing everything out was cathartic. She might not have been able to talk openly to Grant, to mourn what they had and what they lost publicly, but she could always talk about it in a song.

Rose had forced them all in the same room to watch the video premiere on MTV, thankfully without Sharon, and Skye's eyes would search out Grant's once in a while. He never said anything directly to her but she could tell he knew the song was about him. She was sure he knew that her album was her revenge but this? This was an apology for her own fuck ups. Because this wasn't all on him and she could finally admit it.

Admit it and move on.

 **~oOo~**

"It happens more often than you think ," Lance explained , smiling kindly. Completely unaware of the fucking storm raging inside her. He had been pestering her to visit him for month after the miscarriage but Skye promptly put it off. He wanted to make sure everything was back to normal, she wanted to avoid facing her cruellest demon at all costs.

Until Rose finally snapped and told her to grow the fuck up and just go for the damn check - up. Skye had faced her best friend a few weeks ago and they yelled it out. Rose understood, she understood what Skye went through but she didn't deserve the cold shoulder Skye gave her. Just because she and Grant fucked up their lives it didn't mean Skye had any right to take her frustration out on Rose. Skye had explained that it wasn't only that, but she was sorry and she did want Rose back in her life. That is if it wasn't too late. Rose rolled her eyes and told her she couldn't get rid of her even if she tried.

"It's too early to be sure about anything," Lance continued writing something down on his clipboard. "But everything looks good so far and the heartbeat is very loud and clear." Skye was frozen in her chair. Sure she was tired more often than not and she had been eating more than usual but that was because of the work they put in the new album. Surely Lance was mistaken and he hadn't just dropped a bomb like that on her. "Skye?" The man in question snapped his fingers twice trying to make her focus. "Are you alright?"

"You're joking, right?" She finally blurted out and Lance raised an eyebrow.

"Do I look like the kind of person that pulls pranks?" he snapped , almost offended.

"I can't be pregnant!" she snapped back.

"I'd beg to differ." He shrugged and passed her a paper with a few more tests he wanted done. "The results of the blood test said so and if that's not enough for you the ultrasound confirmed it. You're having a baby in approximately twenty eight weeks give or take."

She left Lance's practice in a daze. So many things went through her mind, so many possibilities, it made her head hurt. One thing was sure though, she needed to get out of here and do it fast. She desperately needed time to herself and there was only one place for that.

 **~oOo~**

"Skye?" Melinda's sleepy and surprised voice finally brought her out of the reverie she had been in . After she got the news that still felt like a lie she shot a text to both Rose and Joey, told them she needed some time, packed a small bag and took the first flight available to Austin. She didn't even let her adoptive parents know she was coming home. So Melinda's surprise was more than understandable.

"I'm not okay ," she said after a long moment of silence and finally broke down when Melinda pulled her into a tight hug. It was true, though. Skye was far from okay. She hadn't been so for quite some time now. She was happy first and foremost but she was also scared to death of what happened the last time. Add her pretty much dead relationship with Grant and she didn't know what to do. Because this time she didn't have a plan, and she didn't have Grant with her, and if this ended well this time around, there would be hell to pay for all the sins she committed. Given her affair with Grant the last few years, said sins were quite a few. The Press would tear into her like vultures into a dead body.

"Mel?" Coulson's voice coming from the top of the stairs finally broke them up. "Princess!" At the familiar nickname Skye felt like she was finally home.

 **~oOo~**

They stayed up most of the night and Skye came clean about everything that happened. She hadn't said anything about her first pregnancy (it was too early) so they had no idea about the miscarriage either. They weren't happy, they wanted to be there for her. Help her through her grief and ifSkye hadn't been so stubborn maybe it would have softened the pain somehow.

But at the same time they both understood. Especially Melinda, she had gone through something similar herself once before. Only she had beenfurther along and had to actually give birth to a dead baby. Skye couldn't imagine what that felt like. She had been a mess when she lost her own but she hadn't been put through something as heartbreaking as having to bury your own child.

"Now what?" Coulson asked as he took a sip from him coffee.

"I honestly don't know ," Skye admitted, her eyes glued to the kitchen island.

"It's almost morning." Melinda said finally grabbing Skye's hand gently. The woman Skye felt like a mother squeezed her fingers reassuringly, giving her a soft smile. "We need to go to bed and you have all the time in the world to think what you want to do. We are here to support you no matter what you decide ," she assured the younger woman and Skye felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. As long as she had Phil and Melinda she could do anything.

 **~oOo~**

Being back home was like a remedy sent from the heavens. Skye had no idea she needed this until she had come down here. Her old bedroom, Coulson's pancakes, Mel's oatmeal cookies, Grandma Coulson's bitter but funny remarks every now and then. Every single little thing helped her heal the best way possible. She visited old friends, had tea (coffee was out of the question) with Mrs. Weaver down the street, even dropped by Miles' bar. After almost a week Skye realized that she had let fame and parties get to her too much. She had to slow down or this wouldn't end well. Especially now. She didn't want to give up her career, she loved what she did. But she sure as hell needed to cut back all her bad habits.

So she did just that.

For starters, she called Rose and asked for a few weeks off, told her she was absolutely fine but needed time. Rose told her that there was nothing work related to do anyway so she better stay where she was and take care of herself. At some point Mel had sat her down and told her, again, that they were there for her whatever she decided to do. Even if she wanted to give everything up and move back home to raise the baby. They were herparents and they would support her no matter what.

Two weeks into her stay Skye had worked everything out. She was always sure she would keep the baby ; she just didn't know how to handle the rest. This was her baby and only hers alone. She would have to let Grant know eventually but not until she was completely out of danger. He could be as involved as he wanted but that didn't change the fact that Skye was keeping the baby with or without him. She meant what she had said to Joey all those months ago. For the first time in her life she had found how to be able to support herself all on her own.

With that out of the way she finally decided it was time to go back.

 **~oOo~**

Joey was waiting for her at the airport, Donnie hot on his heels and she hugged both of them. She was truly happy to be back.

"Baby girl!" Joey pulled her into another tight hug as they walked toward the car. "Rose wanted to come too but some last minute work issues kept her back. She said she'll join us later."

"It's fine." She shook her head and wrapped her arm around his waist. To her surprise there were no paps around and people didn't really pay them any mind. Maybe the universe didn't want to screw around with her today. They chatted all the way home and Skye updated him on everything about her adoptive parents while he told her the latest gossip. Rose indeed joined them for dinner and they stayed up until late laughing over the silliest things.

That was the night Skye felt like herself again after what seemed like forever.

 **~oOo~**

She attended her doctor appointments with religious devotion. Lance wanted to keep a very close eye on her at all times. She was officially out of the dangerous first trimester and her baby was growing safe and strong with each passing day. There was a small curve low in her belly but nothing too noticeable. Lance said it was absolutely normal and that she shouldn't worry. She took his word for it. The only other people Skye talked to about this were Joey and Rose. The first was ecstatic and already running wild with nursery ideas, looking for baby clothes online and so on.

Rose on the other hand, while happy, was getting angsty about Skye not talking to Grant. Skye could understand her difficult position though, Rose loved both of them and wanted to respect Skye's wishes but this was her brother's child too. He had to know. Skye assured her that her plan was never to hide the pregnancy from him. She just wanted to be sure everything was fine before she dropped a bomb like that. He had obviously moved on, no matter how much it hurt seeing him with Sharon, Skye did not wish to cause him any more pain.

They had both screwed up epically but she had to let him know. Even if he decided to not be a part of the baby's life . Though, neither Rose nor Skye thought that would be the case. Still, Skye kept putting it off. Mainly because she was scared of what she might do if they found themselves alone again. God knows, it ended it in nefarious things the last time around. It gave her the little peanut inside of her but the circumstances weren't really the best. A knock on her front door forced Skye out of her dreadful thoughts. However she was not prepared for the person behind it.

"Grant?" she breathed as he stood in her building hallway, feet scuffing against the carpeted floor. He fumbled with the strap of his messenger back, visibly tense.

"May I come in?" he asked adjusting the strap over his shoulder. She simply moved aside and opened the door wider, wordlessly inviting him.

"Can I offer you anything?" There was a thick knot at the back of her throat. She tried to convince herself that her hormones were the only reason her eyes were burning with tears. God knows, this pregnancy had turned her into a little, crying bitch. The other day she cried over the fact that she couldn't eat shrimp.

"Coffee would be fine." He rested his bag on the kitchen island and took a seat . They stayed silent for a while as she placed the hot mug before him. No one knew what to say or how to start. Really, how could they put their mess into words? "Joey came to find me ." He finally broke the silence and Skye's face scrunched up in a frown. She had repeatedly told both Joey and Rose to sit on their fucking asses. This was _her_ life, she would be the one to untangle the web she weaved.

"Why?" She crossed her arms defensively. She didn't like where this was going to and she would sure as hell kick Joey's ass tonight.

"To come clean about everything ," Grant informed her with a haughty look. She watched as his hands flexed and she knew he was aching to touch her. "And kick my ass a little ," he added as an afterthought . It must have been a good ass kicking because she had never seen Grant this way before. "I have to admit, though, you put on quite the show. You had everyone fooled, even my dad and he's a hard man to trick."

"You came to your own conclusions." She bit out and he flinched. "I just played along."

"And you didn't correct me ," he shot back, fixing her with a cold look and Skye realized she didn't want to do this. Whatever the fuck this was. She was in no mood to play whatever game Grant had in mind.

"Cut to the chase ," she snapped and he reached inside his bag , pulling out a thick envelope. He pushed it towards her and nodded for her to take it. Skye did so with trembling hands expecting anything but what she read. "Why? How?" she whispered , almost to herself.

"I told you I've been working on this for a while ," he murmured. "That night four months ago," he took a deep breath and Skye knew exactly what night he meant. "It was the final straw. Sharon had been nothing but a safe space for me. I'm not proud of it, or of what I did to you after we lost the baby but I can't change it either. So I had Christian look into it and cut her out a good enough deal to leave quietly." Skye's eyes ran over the divorce paperwork he had placed before her. True to his words, the numbers she read were ridiculously high. Rose must have had a heart attack when she saw them.

"And what do you want from me?" Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes still trained on the white pages. They had thought a lot about this, there were sections about how to handle the press, what Sharon was allowed to share or else she might lose money. There was no way Sharon could screw over any of them. Though Skye knew there wouldn't be such problem, not with the money she was getting.

"Whatever you want to give me ," he admitted solemnly. "Even if it's just your friendship. All I know is that you're important to me and I don't want to lose you." He finally reached over and laid his hand on top of hers. His touch felt like fire, spreading over her body slowly, from her fingers up her arms, to the rest of her. Much like that night a little over four months ago she felt her nerves come alive again.

Taking a deep breath she pulled her hand away and moved towards the kitchen drawers behind her. Reaching inside one Skye snatched up a picture and put it in front of him. Grant's eyes stayed glued to the date at the left corner of the black and white image.

"How?" It was his turn to ask, his eyes sparkling with tears now.

"The universe has a very sick sense of humor and your boys really know how to swim." She shrugged. They sank into a more comfortable silence now, both of them looking at the grainy picture of a baby that still felt like a dream.

"Now what?" he finally spoke quietly.

"I don't know ," she answered, honestly.

He grabbed her hand again, his fingers lacing with hers. Grant pulled her around the island and into his arms and Skye let him. They were trading uncharted waters once more but there was nothing to hurt them anymore. Nothing to stop them from finally having a happily ever after.


End file.
